How Great Retreats Are Built Behind the Scenes

Summary
In this episode, Holly Porter interviews Melanie Ireton, a fractional COO and operational strategist, about how retreat leaders can optimize their operations, marketing, and systems to scale their businesses effectively. They discuss the role of a COO, current retreat industry trends, operational mistakes, and how AI can be a game-changer.




Takeaways
Role of a COO in retreat businesses
2026 retreat industry trends and marketing strategies
Common operational mistakes retreat leaders make
Importance of systems and SOPs in retreats
Using AI to streamline retreat operations




Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Melanie Ireton
01:49 Understanding the Role of a COO
03:56 Challenges for Retreat Leaders
05:31 Trends in the Retreat Industry
07:32 Marketing Gaps for Retreat Leaders
09:11 Operational Problems in Retreat Businesses
11:06 Common Operational Mistakes
13:18 Essential Systems for Retreat Leaders
14:56 Preparing for Unexpected Challenges
18:52 Leveraging AI in Retreat Planning
20:30 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Thoughts
23:42 RNR Outro Final.mp4
24:20 RR.Gift.RetreatRnR.com.mp4




🔗 Connect with Mel Ireton | Ireton Consulting
📧 Email: results@iretonconsulting.com
🌐 Website: www.iretonconsulting.com
🔗 LinkedIn: Mel Ireton
📸 Instagram: @thecoo_room
📘 Facebook: thecooroom




🔗 Connect with Holly Porter | Retreat RNR 
📧 Email: holly@hollyporter.com 
🔗 LinkedIn: Holly Porter | Retreat RNR 
🎵 TikTok: @retreatrnr 
▶️ YouTube: @intlretreatassociation
📸 Instagram: @retreatrnr | @hollyporterinternational 
📘 Facebook: HollyAnnPorter

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to All Things Retreat Podcast. I'm Holly Porter, your host and CEO of Retreat R. With over 25 years of experience in designing transformative retreats. I'm here to share insights and inspiration to help you create extraordinary experiences. Whether you're a pro or just starting out, you'll find valuable ideas here. Enjoy the ride. Let's dive in. Hello and welcome everybody to the show today. We're going to be having a conversation with Melanie Iron. Did I say that correctly?

SPEAKER_00 0:35

You did.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Ah, I forgot to ask her before, so I'm proud of myself. Starting out right. She is a fractional COO and operational strategist who helps retreat leaders and online business founders stop running their businesses from a place of chaos and start scaling with systems that actually work. With over nine years behind the scenes of a multimillion online businesses, she's overseeing launches, building teams, and designing the operational infrastructure that turns vision into revenue. Melanie brings the same caliber of strategic leadership to her clients that a full-time COO would without the full-time price tag. She's also the founder of Ireton Consulting, where she partners with CEOs and founders to untangle operational bottlenecks, implement AI-powered workflows, and build the back-end infrastructure that lets them do more of what they do best, whether it's leading transformational retreats or serving their communities at a higher level. Mellie knows what retreat leaders are visionaries first, and that gap between a powerful experience and profitable, reputable business is almost always an operational pro problem. And that's the problem that she shares. So welcome to the show, Melly.

SPEAKER_00 1:49

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

I don't think I've had a COO on the show before. So I love that because boy, a lot of us need it.

SPEAKER_00 1:58

Yeah, it's uh it's kind of that overlooked, you know, behind the scenes operational person. So it that's that's not uncommon. That's not uncommon.

SPEAKER_01 2:07

So let's start out by explaining to the audience what a what a COO is and then the difference between a COO and a fractional CEO or COO. Um let's explain those, okay?

SPEAKER_00 2:18

There's so many words going around. Yeah, a so a COO is a chief operating officer. So typically um we are the person underneath the founder or the CEO, um, overseeing the day-to-day operations, um, cross-management of teams, project management, basically the execution from you know, visionary idea to reality. So we're bringing everything to life for the founder or CEO so that they can focus on their zone of genius or, you know, go to the beach or whatever it is that the CEO really wants to be doing. And the difference between the fractional piece and a full-time COO is quite literally a lot of the time just the cost associated. So where a you know sole proprietorship might not be able to bring in a full-time COO because of cost, they can have that same uh service and that same leadership at a fraction of the cost.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

So does it look like a part-time or a like 90-day stretch? I mean, what does that look like for most companies?

SPEAKER_00 3:24

It really depends on what the goal is. So I've come in just to do launches, which could be, you know, a 90-day stretch. I've come in um just to oversee projects, I've come in to oversee hiring. Um, so it really can look like anywhere from, you know, five hours a week to 20 hours a week, depending on the need. So it's very personal. I don't like to take on too many people at once because I need to be able to give my full attention to the clients that I have to be able to provide that that delivery. Um but yeah, it's really custom. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Why do you think so many retreat leaders struggle with the operational side of their businesses?

SPEAKER_00 4:01

Um, I think a lot of retreat leaders are it's it's kind of either it's the next step in their business, it's the next phase in growth. So, you know, it's a marketing, um, it's in their marketing plan. And so they the retreat is somewhat different in the sense of how to promote it and how to market it because people have to know, like, and trust you in order to go on a retreat with you. And so operationally, it's not the same as trying to nurture someone into a course or trying to nurture someone because they're doing that online. You're nurturing someone into getting on a plane typically and going on, you know, an amazing adventure with you with an outcome, a transformational aspect to it, or you know, a study piece. It could be a number of things, but I think it's just a um a lack of knowledge of how to put all of those pieces together. So what to do with the lead after you get the lead, what is the process after that um through to the sales? Because it does involve a sales process as well.

SPEAKER_01 5:03

Absolutely, yeah. Well, I love trends, okay. I mean, we all want to be trendy, right? But I love like knowing statistics and and especially in the retreat industry. And so I went and created this 2026 report a few months ago for this year of trends that people can go and grab for free. It's a 17-page report. International RetreatAssociation.org is where you can grab it if you want it. Um, that will also put you on the International Retreat Association uh list so that you'll get our weekly newsletters, which also promote this podcast. You get to see the shows that come up that week. We have two that launch, and then um there's some blogs on there that give you updates and there's always a trend re trend uh blog on there as well. So, like if you're like me and you'd like to know like what's what's the hot new stuff, then I love that. Um, but I want to know that's that's what I know that I'm sharing. What do you know about the 2026 trends that are in the retreat industry right now? What would you say you're seeing?

SPEAKER_00 6:04

I'm seeing a lot of simple retreats for connection. And so the retreat itself is not only the top trend of 2026 and marketing, it's actually the trend for 2026 and it's it's pulling over into 2027. But that retreat to just be the retreat to have that in-person connection, it doesn't have to have a whole lot of um activities, it doesn't have to have a whole lot of you know, juice and mph to it. It's just the ability to completely disconnect and have that in-person conversation instead of a Zoom conversation. It's that ability to have a, you know, a moment to yourself without the kids knocking at the door or a text message coming through. And people are craving that immensely, especially with the incoming of AI. And now people are even turning to AI for that connection, and it doesn't feel the same. And so we're lacking that. And so that has that is why retreats are the are the number one trend in terms of promoting retreats. We're seeing a lot of people doing a lot of of different things, a lot of outreach. You know, you're not necessarily going to sell a retreat from a Facebook ad because those people don't know who you are. It's your warm audience, it's you know, having meetups in advance and getting to know your audience in person and is is where you can see a lot of um conversion and in that and outreach, personal outreach.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Yeah, oh, no doubt. What do you see as the biggest gap in the marketing and promotional stuff that comes from retreat leaders and venues?

SPEAKER_00 7:42

For retreat leaders, it's not being clear about who what's happening on the retreat. You know, instead of focusing on the logistics and the location itself, really telling a story about what's going to be experienced and what's gonna happen when they leave. Like what are what are they gonna feel while they're there? What am I gonna, you know, really immersing the reader in the retreat itself as they go through the sales page? That part is somewhat missed in the sense that people, and you'll see it in your, you know, your web stats when people are hitting the page, but they're not staying long because they don't know if it's for them or not. They can't tell. And so getting really clear on that and then capturing that in person at that point um and leading them through to, you know, whatever your sales journey is at that stage. Um, sorry, what was the second part to your question?

SPEAKER_01 8:34

For venues, too.

SPEAKER_00 8:35

For venues. Um, for venues, we're seeing just again warm outreach. Um, you know, where we used to see that you could run ads and, you know, use that kind of mechanism to pull your audience in. There's a lot of um, you know, personal outreach, a lot of webinars, a lot of really getting to know the clientele. They're really not, there's just such a massive rev of uh locations out there to choose from. It's really getting in front of your audience and offering something that no one else is offering in order to be able to really benefit them.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

Yeah, absolutely. Well, you've said that the gap between a powerful retreat and a profitable retreat business is often operational's problem. Can you explain what you meant by that?

SPEAKER_00 9:21

Um, I mean the sense of of, you know, I just spoke to someone and they're saying how they have their Instagram leads coming in, um, but nobody's buying. And my question was, well, how are you getting them from that Instagram conversation to the sales converse? Like that's the first part of your sales conversation, and they weren't pulling them off of Instagram. So that's what I mean operationally, is you have to have structure. And that structure needs to be maybe for this instance, it would be from Instagram. You're pulling them um into your email list and you're addressing the pain points that they have, and you're taking away all of their fears, but you're capturing their information, or you're scheduling a phone call with them and you're, you know, giving them three to five touch points in order to make that decision, but then you're actually asking them to come on the retreat. And people are so afraid of being forward and they're so afraid of you know emailing people too many times or communicating too much that they end up operationally not delivering enough to get them through. And so operationally, it means having, you know, an email system set up, or if you don't do email, it could be having, you know, a Telegram or a WhatsApp, somewhere where you're gathering your community and you're intentionally engaging with them through a number of steps. And quite often we're seeing that those steps are broken. Um, so operationally the steps are not flowing together. Um, sometimes it's email deliverability issues, sometimes it's messaging, um, sometimes it's a lack of community. There are a number of pieces that could be missing and they create that gap between just awareness and somebody coming on the retreat.

SPEAKER_01 11:06

Absolutely. What do you think the biggest operational mistakes that you see retreat leaders making?

SPEAKER_00 11:11

The biggest operational mistake that I see retreat leaders making consistently, it's probably hesitation in their delivery. It's a hesitation in, you know, they're so afraid to ask for the sale. They're so afraid to ask someone that, and they're so afraid that they're gonna seem pushy, but um, it it's just not having enough communication. Um, so they're not, they're just putting it on one place, they're putting it on, let's say Facebook, but there's nothing else.

unknown 11:41

Right.

SPEAKER_00 11:41

There's nothing else. It's like, well, they'll let me know if they want, if they're interested. Like they'll send me a DM if they're interested. And that's not an op, that's not an operation, that's awareness. You're right.

SPEAKER_01 11:51

So yeah. Uh well, I'm guilty of that. As you're as you're explaining, I'm like, you know, it's you know, it reminded me of is like build it and they will come. It's like if they want it, they're gonna find me, you know, but it's it's not it's tripping and it's that constant. How many touches do we need before someone really pulls the trigger trigger?

SPEAKER_00 12:07

Yeah, I mean, three you need usually like I mean, they need to see it like five times, but that's the again when you get into like creating a sense of urgency and you know, making that early bird, or there's so many strategies around pricing the retreat, um, and there's so many pieces to it, but you know, people are so focused on learning how to run a retreat, they're forgetting that running a retreat is a business and there's a business component to it. And so operationally, you have to be aware of that business piece and and also be working on that at the same time.

SPEAKER_01 12:40

Well, in a lot of businesses, it's a business within the business, right? They're creating retreats around what they're already doing. Or if they're a coach, for instance, and they're selling a coaching package at a retreat, it's like your retreat's an actual separate business of part of that.

SPEAKER_00 12:53

Yeah, and I mean that is the best time to offer that. That is where you want to be offering that big package, is when you've just spent a week with someone, you know, creating that knowledge base and creating that experience and those memories with that person, you know, they're gonna remember that over the email you're gonna send them when you get back home.

SPEAKER_01 13:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

So it's it's it's and people, it's awkward for people.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Yeah. Well, people are emotional buyers, and so retreats are a great place to have a good emotion happening and then ask for the sale there. I just feel like, yeah, people miss out on that opportunity so much that they really do. Grabbing in, yeah. Okay, let's talk about systems. Um, what do you think a retreat leader should have in place before they're hosting their retreat?

SPEAKER_00 13:40

I think at minimum you have to have in terms of systems, you have to have a way to collect your leads and gather your contacts and segment them. So whether that, I mean, it doesn't have to be a big expensive client relationship or CRM. It can be your client relationship management system. So it doesn't have to be an active campaign or a infusion soft. By all means, it absolutely can be, but just a way to gather your leads. So you have, you know, the people that are responding to me, those are those are interested. The people that actually sent me a message, those are warm leads. And, you know, if they continue a conversation, that is a hot lead. Yeah. And so if somebody's opening your emails primarily, you need to at least have an email system, whether that's mail or light or um some sort of contact. I mean, there's so many. Yeah, it's like fine wine. You decide which one you like the best and you go with it, and you that's the one that's yours, and it they all do the same things. Um, and and it's really just having that, I think, is key because that's how you're gonna communicate with them, that's how you're going to gather their information, it's how you're gonna get their legal forms eventually. So having that as absolutely the most important system to have in place.

SPEAKER_01 14:56

Okay, so life happens. So let's get a scenario going here. If a retreat leader has help, has someone like you, has an assistant, and life happens and all of a sudden they're gone. What at a minimum would you suggest a retreat leader do that everything's like they're out of business tomorrow because they knew nothing and they didn't have their hands on anything? Like, what would you say bare minimum?

SPEAKER_00 15:22

Well, in that instance, you have to have insurance. So retreat leaders insurance. Um, I mean, if you're if I think you're creating this scenario where like you're here and you've collected everybody's money for the retreat and the retreat doesn't happen. Is that what we're doing?

SPEAKER_01 15:37

No, I'm thinking more just of day-to-day systems. So you're okay. You have an assistant that's helping you with all the logistics, like what you would do, like the operational pieces of it, because an assistant can do a lot of what an operational person just at a lower level, right? We have all levels of people doing things. So I'm saying a scenario where that it, whether it's uh fractional COO, COO, assistant, your help, your your other brain that you have doing all of the details and the logistics. Maybe the retreat leader's not that's not their genius. So of course they're hiring people. Life happens, all of a sudden they're gone. You have to let them go. Um, they have a death in the family, and they they leave. I mean, they get in an accident, they're in the hospital. Just saying, worst case scenario. Like worst case screen bare minimum.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

Yeah, so I mean, typically anybody who is doing this kind of role knows that we don't own that information. That information belongs to whoever we're working for. So whenever we're creating that client relationship management or that list or that itinerary, it is all owned by the person that we're working for. And so it's never mine. It uh it never belonged to me in the first place. And so the entire point is that I could walk away and you could keep going. And so that is that is how it should always be. Even if you're just working with a virtual assistant, you should always own everything being created because it's it's a pain in the neck when you have to go and start transferring ownership or recreating the worst case. You know what I mean? What did you do?

SPEAKER_01 17:17

Huh? I I I had an assistant where I could see there was some issues going on. They ended up getting tuberculosis. So that there's that. Oh gosh. But before that, I had them creating on a Google Doc, like um documenting all their processes. So either I gave them a process and they they created or we went from that, or they documented it, something new we were doing, documented the process because gosh, if they left, and I'm like, I don't know how I don't know what they did there. You know, I I needed to know that I could go back to that. I thought that was kind of brilliant to be able to have it, the system there. Not like I could do it, but I could also hand it to another assistant, maybe, and they could say, Oh, okay, this was the process you guys were doing. I can figure that out, you know.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

So that is our SOP. And so typically anytime we're doing something like that, you're creating an SOP, a standard operating procedure that you know your kid could go in and follow this. It's very to be very simplified and very easy to follow. And that's that is your standard operating procedure. So I can't remember the name. Thank you. Yeah, so decorating that you would have that there. But I mean, for for what I do, anybody who's trained to do what I do wouldn't necessarily even need those. They'd be able to hop in and just they would shit know how to figure it out and how to do it. Um, but that is where that comes in because that allows, you know, people do unfortunately get sick, you know, in a launch even and someone else has to step in. Well, you have to be able to do that without a without a break in in everything that's happening, and so in your operations. So that is where an SOP would come in. And I mean, you shouldn't have that many SOPs for a retreat.

SPEAKER_01 18:52

Right. Well, and okay, let's jump to AI. Let's let's bring up that word. Yeah. Um, a lot of times now you can get those created very quickly with AI. But we're all working, mostly it, most of us, I should say, are working with API workflows. Where do you see AI creating the biggest opportunities for retreat leaders today?

SPEAKER_00 19:11

Um, I think that it's really helpful in being able to really quickly do a lot of the operational pieces if you're not in a position to bring on help because you can just use it as your assistant. Um, I'm a huge advocate for AI. I love it. I use it as much as I possibly can. And there is a huge ability to, you know, take your avatar and create a project and put it in and pull out all of the pain points and address those in an inerture sequence in five seconds. What I would never do is copy and paste that and use that exact AI language and send it out. You need to be making it your own and making it, you know, the odd grammar mistake at least. Like you have to have it so that it feels human and it feels it feels like it might you want it to make you feel like, oh, they're talking to me. They want this is a retreat is for me. And so I think even today you can go in, and I've got people creating websites in five minutes because you can do it with various apps. So there's a huge opportunity to take the lift off. Um, but you still have to know how to use the AI. It's not as simple, you know, you have to give it the directions, it doesn't know what you want until you tell it.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

Always about saying asking the right questions, too.

SPEAKER_00 20:30

This is true. That's very true.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

So true. I love that. All right. You ready for some rapid fire?

SPEAKER_00 20:38

I don't know if I am, but we'll try.

SPEAKER_01 20:40

These are easy ones. Okay. These are just so the audience can get to know you better, no right or wrong answer. Just quick answers. Coffee or tea? Coffee. Early bird or night out. Early bird, beach retreat or mountain retreat, beach, carry-on only or checked luggage?

SPEAKER_00 20:56

Uh, carry-on.

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Paper planner or digital calendar?

SPEAKER_00 20:59

Digital calendar.

SPEAKER_01 21:01

What's your favorite AI tool right now?

SPEAKER_00 21:03

Oh lovable. Oh. 100% lovable.

SPEAKER_01 21:07

That is like what we were just talking about. If you guys haven't checked that out, go check it out because it's scary. I just watched the whole guy do it. He does his podcast automation, his scheduling, calendar, everything. It's unlovable. It's amazing. Um, what's one app? You could say lovable, but let's use an app. What's one app that you can't live without?

SPEAKER_00 21:27

An app that I can't live without? Um probably my social media, because it's where I get my leads. So without the ability to have my apps, like my, you know, that's old school. And I know you expected some amazing app that you probably hadn't heard of, but that is, I mean, without that, I can't communicate. I work remote. And so without the ability to, you know, be connecting with people on my social platforms, you know, that's how you and I started chatting. I wouldn't, we wouldn't be sitting here today. And so I would definitely say my social platforms.

SPEAKER_01 22:01

I love that. Um, okay, so we are gonna put how to get a hold of Mel in the notes, the show notes here. Um, so if you want to get a hold of her, obviously, to uh get her, maybe you want her for just a project. I know, I mean, I can vouch she's done, I've watched some of the behind the scenes stuff she's done, and it's amazing. So I know she's totally capable, but um any last famous or inspiring words you want to leave?

SPEAKER_00 22:27

I don't think so. I think if anything, I'll stay on brand to the conversations I've been having today. And it's just be when you're running a retreat, don't feel like you have to be everywhere. Be true to who you are, don't feel like you have to be, you know, that person that you the person you think is being in super successful and you know has all of these things going for them because they're probably just trying to do their very best as well. And you know, so just do what feels in alignment and what you're capable of, but also at the same time, make sure you do put yourself out there and and do have a process and do try to ensure that you have some sort of um sales process when you're running your retreat.

SPEAKER_01 23:07

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 23:08

Okay, I'm gonna add to that.

SPEAKER_01 23:09

Get get someone like Mel, if not Mel, before your your um let's see, I had it financially, mentally, and emotionally broke.

SPEAKER_00 23:21

Oh goodness.

SPEAKER_01 23:23

How's that? That's great. All right, everyone. Well, we'll see you on the next show. Thanks, Mel, for being a great guest. And I'm sure they have learned a lot from you. I know I I picked up plenty myself. So I appreciate you coming, and we'll see everybody next time. Bye for now. Bye. Thanks for joining us on this episode of All Things Retreat. We hope you're leaving with new ideas, fresh inspiration, and the motivation to take your retreats to the next level. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review. It helps us grow and reach more retreat leaders like you. And if you have any questions, topics you'd like us to cover, or just want to say hello, send us an email at infoweetreatrnr.com. Follow us on social media to stay connected and catch all the latest updates. Until next time. Remember, great retreats start with great intentions. Let's make them extraordinary, one step at a time. Thinking about hosting a retreat? Before you dive in, let's make sure you're really ready. Grab your free RU Retreat ready checklist and find out if you've got everything in place from your purpose to pricing to your audience and agenda. Don't guess, get clear. This quick checklist will show you exactly where you stand and what you need to make your retreat success. Click the link below in the show notes to grab your gift and take the first step toward hosting this conference.